13:30 - 14:45

The multidisciplinary Mental Health Hub (MHH) at NHS 24, are collaborating with Police Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service, to make it easier for people in mental health distress to get the help they need, when they do not require an emergency response.  

Hear how through innovation, the collaboration team has developed robust pathways to support the patient journey through Police Scotland (PS), Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) Programme. The recently launched pathway between NHS 24 and SAS allows for the warm transfer of calls from SAS clinician to Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in the Mental Health Hub (MHH)  

Collaborative pathways deliver these benefits including: 

• Increased and faster access to dedicated mental health professionals and services for people in crisis both rurally and remotely 

• Improved care pathways for patients living with mental illness or in distress 

• Improved triage with better recognition of the complex range of mental health needs and streamlined access to appropriate support 

• Increased multi-disciplinary working/integrated service delivery  

• A reduction in Police and Ambulance deployment with fewer presentations at emergency departments 

• Increased access to prevention, and supported self-management, resources. 

  
Feedback from health boards and partner agencies is positive. Evaluation shows reduced demand for their services and ensuring care is delivered at the most appropriate point. 

This session will help you understand the enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration and see how working together fosters integrated service delivery across different agencies, demonstrate how the Mental Health Hub alleviates pressure on partner services and recognise the importance of prevention and self-management.